MATCH REPORT: 2004/2005 Season

15 March 2005: LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
ROTHERHAM UNITED 1 READING 0
goals
Reading: -
Rotherham: Warne (90 mins).
Half Time: 0-0
Attendance: 3,804

CHAMPIONSHIP 15 Mar 2005
Pos Team P Pts GD
5 Derby 37 60 +9
6 READING 38 57 +8
7 West Ham 37 55 +4
teams
Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Little, Sidwell, Newman, Hughes, Kitson, Morgan (Owusu 85). Subs Not Used: Keown, Harper, Brooker, Young.
Rotherham: Pollitt, Scott, Gilchrist (Hoskins 45), McIntosh, Hurst, Barker, Mullin, McLaren, Keane, Campbell-Ryce, Warne. Subs Not Used: Montgomery, Newsham, Vernazza, Griffit.
bookings
Reading: -
Rotherham: McLaren
Referee: A Hall (W Midlands).
report

Reading's joy at ending their shocking run of form on Saturday was short lived tonight, as the Royals tumbled to a 0-1 defeat at bottom of the table Rotherham United. The meeting saw the two most out of form sides in the Division struggle to produce much in the way of football, until managerless Rotherham eventually stuck home the winner in injury time at the end of the game. Rotherham, still a massive sixteen points away from safety, picked up only their second home win of the season with a goal from close range after a late free-kick was headed on. Reading didn't compare to their performance on Saturday, which ended in a 3-1 victory over Pardew's West Ham. This game was equally important but Reading slumped to another away defeat meaning we've managed just the single win since Boxing Day. The Royals had the better of a handful of chances throughout the game but again there were problems up front. If Kitson doesn't score then Reading seem destined to remain goalless. Again, centre back Ingimarsson provided one of Reading's best efforts on goal when his header forced a good save. Sidwell saw his free-kick pushed onto the Rotherham crossbar but chances were few and far between. With West Ham only managing a draw tonight, Reading hang on to their play-off position for now. However, this was a huge set back to finishing the season in the top six.


FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

I should have guessed it, the writing was on the wall last night, when 5 minutes before kick off the Rotherham PA introduced the night's guests of honour, The Chuckle Brothers. The 90 minutes that followed were in a similar vain, comedy without any laughs. In fact it must of been a nice reunion for them with Steve Coppell, the long lost third Chuckle Brother!. When you are 0-0 against a team who have only won at home once this season, you have been dragged down to their level of Div. 3 football, why wait until the 85th minute to bring on a sub to try and change things? Where was Coppell's plan B, come to think of it where was his plan A. This was shocking, but not as shocking as finding we are still in the top six! They say the league doesn't lie, quite right, take out the top 3 teams and then replace all the others with the names with Sh*t, Sh*t, and more Sh*t! Saturday's Pardew bashing should have been the catalyst for the rest of the season, instead the 'ammers game looks like a blip and we are back on our regular self destruct mission. Instead of giving teams like Rotherham a footballing lesson we once again got dragged down to their level (lower at times as they looked a lot more lively than we did!), tenacity, spirit and flair?? Not in Coppell's dictionary. If Kitson don't score, we get nothing, if Kitson doesn't get the service, Kitson don't score, we get nothing... rocket science? Morgan is a lightweight at the moment, Owusu hardly gonna be a 20 a season man, yet Coppell persists with his personal spats with Forster and Goater, Convey doesn't get a look in and we raid the British Museum for our two latest signings. Sort it out Coppell, NOW!. I dunno what I am more worried about at the moment missing out on the play-offs or actually getting there, now that could be real comedy!
Darren Hall, totally p*ssed off in Warrington.

Oh dear, looks like all those newly rediscovered qualities from the West Ham game were quickly forgotten. Whatever might be said about the conditions, state of the pitch, weather, how cold the dressing rooms were, etc, the fact is that Rotherham are adrift at the bottom by a country mile and have won only 4 times (including last night) all season. This sort of record speaks for itself. Reading should beat teams like that, especially if they really are serious about going up to a higher level. But once again, they made a mess of it. It's just as well that most of the teams below them did similar things so, incredibly, we're still in a play-off place. Can someone convince the team Pardew is in charge of every club we have left to play as it sometimes seems that's the only motivation that can spark them?
Caversham Royal

Words fail me, only Reading. So called professionals, the lot of them are a joke and an embarrassment. Talk about hot and cold, they have the passion and ambition of a cold cow pat.
Nick Newbury

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